[RndTbl] [SkullSpace-Discuss] IBM "clicky" keyboards

[Benjamin Bergman]

This probably isn't the Canadian ergo keyboard you are thinking of,
but it has MX Browns in it (a bit softer that the blue/green/clear,
but still with the tactile bump).
http://www.trulyergonomic.com/

My daily driver is an old Kinesis contoured keyboard, again with
browns, but also available in reds (similar to brown, but without the
bump).
http://www.ergocanada.com/detailed_specification_pages/kinesis_corporation_advantage_contoured_keyboard.html

A similar keyboard is the Maltron keyboard. While much more expensive,
they are hand built and thus can be easily custom built, so I'm sure
they would make one with whatever MX switch you liked.
http://www.maltron.com/keyboard-info/dual-hand-fully-ergonomic-3d-keyboards

There is also the ErgoDox, designed by keyboard enthusiasts and sold
as a kit. It is often sold through Massdrop.com and I believe you can
choose pretty much any MX switch you want.
http://ergodox.org/
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/ergodox/talk

As you can perhaps tell, I have more of an interest in the mechanical
ergo keyboards than the super clicky boards, but since ergo boards
were mentioned I thought I would point these out. Also, since all of
these boards are MX based, the switches can be modified/swapped with
your favorite type (blue, green, clear, etc). There are a few great
keyboard forums out there, namely geekhack.org and deskthority.net,
which talk about that kind of
procedure and other keyboard things.

On Sun, Sep 15, 2013 at 11:07 AM, Edwin Amsler <edwinguy at gmail.com> wrote:
> They're pretty great. My first computer had one.
>
> --
> Edwin (on the move)
>
> On 2013-09-14, at 9:56 PM, "Adam Thompson" <athompso at athompso.net> wrote:
>
>> Enough people have wondered/asked/complained to me about this that I'm
>> posting this now as a public service.
>>
>>
>> IBM Model "M" keyboards are still available, *NEW*, today.  They are
>> expensive, but they are the original design that you can use as a melee
>> weapon.  The catch is that they don't say "IBM" or even "Lexmark" on
>> them.  They are available for purchase from the manufacturer, Unicomp,
>> who can be found online at http://www.pckeyboard.com/.
>>
>> You can also find some vintage NIB units from time to time at
>> http://www.clickykeyboards.com/.
>>
>>
>>
>> There are also a number of other manufacturers now making similar, but
>> not quite as good, keyboards.
>>
>> - CVT Inc., the maker of the Avant Stellar (I own two of them), which
>> is the direct descendant of the Northgate Omnikey, seems to have
>> restructured and no trace of their keyboard manufacturing operation can
>> be found online.  However, Northgate keyboards are still available
>> new-in-box from (this is a horrible site, beware)
>> http://www.northgate-keyboard-repair.com/.
>>
>> - The Happy Hacking keyboard (now owned by Fujitsu, apparently) is
>> equally comforting to some people despite having a totally different
>> feel.  They, and many others, can be had from
>> http://www.elitekeyboards.com/
>>
>> - Das Keyboard
>>
>> - Anything using Cherry MX Green, Blue, or White keyswitches.  The
>> "green" switches apparently are the closest anyone's come yet to
>> emulating the IBM/Lexmark/Unicomp switches... and they can be had in
>> MUCH cheaper keyboards, like the Rosewill RK-9000
>> (http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823201040 and
>> http://techreport.com/review/23405/rosewill-rk-9000-series-mechanical-ke
>> yboards-reviewed).
>>
>> - And there are an increasing number (yes, again, after the big die-off
>> ca. 2009) of speciality manufacturers of "ergonomic" keyboards that are
>> making clicky keyswitches available as an option.  One of the better
>> ones is a tiny shop in Ontario, but I can't find the name right now.
>>
>>
>> References:
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_M_keyboard
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicomp
>> http://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_MX
>>
>> -Adam Thompson
>> athompso at athompso.net
>>
>> <winmail.dat>
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